---
sidebar_label: Google Cloud SQL for MySQL
description: Using Hasura with a Google Cloud SQL for MySQL database
title: 'Cloud: Using Hasura Cloud with a Google Cloud SQL for MySQL database'
keywords:
  - hasura
  - docs
  - existing database
  - guide
  - sql
  - mysql
  - gcp
sidebar_position: 3
---

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# Connecting Hasura to a Google Cloud SQL for MySQL Database

## Introduction

This guide explains how to connect a new or existing [Google Cloud SQL for MySQL database](https://cloud.google.com/sql)
to a Hasura instance, either on [Hasura Cloud](https://cloud.hasura.io?skip_onboarding=true) or via one of our
[self-hosted](/deployment/deployment-guides/index.mdx) solutions.

:::info Hasura Cloud or self-hosted steps

If you plan on using Hasura Cloud, which we recommend, follow steps 1 and 2 below. If you're self-hosting a Hasura
instance and already have a project running, skip to [step 3](#create-pg-db-gcp).

:::

## Step 1: Sign up or log in to Hasura Cloud

Navigate to [Hasura Cloud](https://cloud.hasura.io/signup/?pg=docs&plcmt=body&cta=navigate-to-hasura-cloud&tech=default)
and sign up or log in.

## Step 2: Create a Hasura Cloud project {#create-hasura-project-gcp}

On the Hasura Cloud dashboard, create a new project:

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/create-hasura-cloud-project.png" alt="Create Hasura Cloud project" width="1000px" />

After the project is initialized successfully, click on `Launch Console` to open the Hasura Console in your browser.

On the Hasura Console, navigate to the `Data` tab and choose `Connect Existing Database`. Hasura will prompt you for a
JDBC URL. We'll create this in the next step and then come back here.

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/gcp/mysql/existing-db-setup.png" alt="Hasura Cloud database setup" width="700px" />

## Step 3: Create a MySQL DB on Google Cloud SQL {#create-mysql-db-gcp}

:::info Already have an existing database?

If you have an existing MySQL database on Google Cloud SQL, you can skip this step and move on to
[step 4](#allow-connections).

:::

Log into the [GCP console](https://console.cloud.google.com/).

On the left-side navigation, scroll down to `Storage` and click on `SQL`:

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/gcp/navigate-to-sql.png" alt="Navigate to SQL in GCP" width="250px" />

On the top, click on `Create instance`:

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/gcp/create-instance.png" alt="Create database instance in GCP" width="1000px" />

Select MySQL:

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/gcp/mysql/select-MySQL.png" alt="Select MySQL database instance in GCP" width="1000px" />

Select an instance ID, as well as a default user password. Choose a preset, and, if required, a specific region and
zone.

<Thumbnail
  src="/img/cloud-dbs/gcp/mysql/configure-instance.png"
  alt="Configure database instance in GCP"
  width="1000px"
/>

Then click `Create Instance`.

## Step 4: Allow connections to your DB from Hasura {#allow-connections}

On the dashboard of your Google Cloud SQL database instance, on the left sidebar, click on `Connections` and then the
`Networking` tab. Then scroll down to the checkbox `Public IP`, and click `Add a network`:

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/gcp/mysql/connections.png" alt="Navigate to connections in GCP" />

If using Hasura Cloud, from your project's dashboard, copy the Hasura Cloud IP address:

<Thumbnail src="/img/projects/hasura-cloud-ip.png" alt="Hasura Cloud IP field" width="1000px" />

:::info Note

If you're using a self-hosted solution, you'll need to determine the IP address manually depending on your hosting
service.

:::

Enter the Hasura IP address that you copied along with a name (e.g., `Hasura`):

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/gcp/mysql/add-network.png" alt="Add a new network in GCP" />

Then click `Done` and `Save`.

## Step 5: Construct the database connection URL {#construct-db-url-gcp}

The structure of the database connection URL looks as follows:

```text
jdbc:mysql://<hostname>:<port>/<database_name>?user=<username>&password=<password>
```

- `port`: The default port for MySQL is `3306` if not specified otherwise.
- `database_name`: The name is `mysql` by default unless otherwise specified.
- `username`: If you have a separate database user, the username will be theirs. If you didn't specify a user, the
  default username is `root`.
- `password`: If you have a separate database user, use their password. Otherwise, use the password that you chose when
  creating the database.
- `hostname`: The public IP can be obtained by clicking on `Overview` on the left-side navigation and then scrolling
  down to `Connect to this instance`:

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/gcp/mysql/public-ip.png" alt="Find the public IP for a GCP MySQL database" />

:::info About Cloud SQL connections

If you're having trouble creating your connection string, check out
[Google Cloud SQL's docs](https://cloud.google.com/sql/docs/mysql/connect-overview?_ga=2.46986085.-395235927.1674823952#external-connection-methods).

:::

## Step 6: Finish connecting the database

Back on the Hasura Console, enter the database URL that we created in [step 5](#construct-db-url-gcp):

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/gcp/mysql/gcp-complete.png" alt="Database setup" />

Then click `Connect Database`.

:::info Database URL security

It is recommended to set database connection URLs as [env vars](/hasura-cloud/projects/env-vars.mdx) in Hasura Engine
instead of raw database URLs which would be saved to metadata and likely committed to a repository which may be a
security risk.

:::

:::info Ensure your password escapes special characters

Due to the potential variations in drivers, it's crucial to escape special characters used in the password of the
connection string. These include `{ } % & #`. To escape a character, use the appropriate escape sequence based on your
database's driver's documentation.

:::

Track the tables on which you want to create your API, and voilà: you're ready to start developing.

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/gcp/mysql/hasura-console.png" alt="Hasura Console" />

## Next steps

- You can check out our [30-Minute Hasura Basics Course](https://hasura.io/learn/graphql/hasura/introduction/) and other
  [GraphQL & Hasura Courses](https://hasura.io/learn/) for a more detailed introduction to Hasura.

- If using Hasura Cloud, you can also click the gear icon to manage your Hasura Cloud project. (e.g. add
  [collaborators](/hasura-cloud/projects/collaborators.mdx), [env vars](/hasura-cloud/projects/env-vars.mdx) or
  [custom domains](/hasura-cloud/domains.mdx)).

<Thumbnail src="/img/getting-started/project-manage.png" alt="Project actions" width="860px" />

:::info MySQL feature support

For more information on which MySQL features we support, check out
[this page](/databases/mysql/index.mdx#feature-support).

:::

### Auth Proxy

Google Cloud SQL offers a [Cloud SQL Auth proxy](https://cloud.google.com/sql/docs/mysql/sql-proxy) that can be used to
connect to your database. This is useful if you want to connect to your database from a local machine or a server that
doesn't have a public IP address.

To use the Cloud SQL Auth proxy, follow the instructions in the
[Cloud SQL Auth proxy docs](https://cloud.google.com/sql/docs/mysql/sql-proxy#install).
